Rabbi Scott Hausman-Weiss of Congregation Shma Koleinu in Bellaire, TX

If you could bottle and sell a day of Jacobs camp to most every Jewish kid out there, they’d be lining up to get in. And it seems that they are, even without bottling it! 434 campers – the largest to date at Jacobs Camp – and this is undoubtedly due to the dedication of Anna Herman, our new director.   Macy Hart and Jonathan (J.C.) Cohen set the stage, built the foundation, established traditions, and paved paths for the genesis and development of Henry S. Jacobs Camp. And now, beginning her second full summer as the camp director, Anna is building upon the foundation set by her predecessors.

Big flashy accouterment doesn’t excite her nearly as much as the engagement that counselors have with their campers, and senior staff have with their counselors. Anna Herman breaks with tradition when it makes sense. This initiative is a moving tribute to what it means to build Jacobs Camp for the next generation. From the field to the cabins to the pool, Anna has raised the bar on investing in the things that truly make an impact on campers at a Reform Jewish summer camp – meaningful relationships, personal beliefs, communal integrity, and a spirit of inventiveness.

I am sure that someone at every camp feels this way about his or her director too. My challenge to all of you Rabbis and Educators who still love going to camp just like I do is to share with all of us what makes your director as special as the one we cherish here at URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp.